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Stephen King Writes A Fantasy Epic “Fairy Tale”
A review of Stephen King’s 2022 novel
I received a copy of Fairy Tale as a birthday gift two years ago, but it sat on my bookshelf for ages. Typically, I avoid novels over 400 pages, and although I’m a Stephen King fan, I was skeptical about reading a fantasy novel.
While I know King sometimes ventures into other speculative genres (e.g., his Dark Tower series, which I haven’t read), I usually prefer his horror and mystery books. So, when I finally had time to read Fairy Tale, I was surprised to find I enjoyed his spin on a fantasy epic.
After his mom is killed in an accident when he is ten and grief drives his dad to alcohol, Charlie Reade learns to take care of himself and his dad. When Charlie turns seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, the neighborhood recluse who lives in a Victorian house on the top of a hill. After Mr. Bowditch breaks his leg, Charlie takes care of him, befriending both the old man and his dog, Radar. As Charlie spends more time at the house, he hears strange noises in the backyard coming from a locked shed.
When Mr. Bowditch dies, he bequeaths the house and property to Charlie, along with a bag of gold and a cassette tape containing an unbelievable story and responsibility. According to Mr. Bowditch, the shed is a portal to another world…